The present invention relates generally to toys and amusements, particularly to edible toys and amusements, more particularly to edible toys and amusements with kinetic properties, and even more particularly to edible toys and amusements with kinetic properties in carbonated beverages.
A well-known demonstration of varying buoyancy involves putting raisins (see Sink Or Swim!: The Science of Water, by Barbara Taylor, Random House Publishing, New York, 1990, page 22) or small clay balls (see Physics For Every Kid, by Janice Pratt VanCleave, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 1991, pages 64-65) in a carbonated beverage with no ice. (For convenience this discussion will address the motion of raisins, although it should be noted that the clay balls behave in the same manner.) The raisins initially sink, since their specific gravity is greater than unity. When the population of carbon dioxide bubbles which forms on the surface of a submerged raisin reaches a sufficient volume, the raisin is lifted to the surface of the beverage. Then, at the surface of the beverage those bubbles which come in contact with the beverage/air interface escape into the air, leaving the raisin/bubble ensemble with a density greater than that of the beverage and so the raisin again sinks, beginning another cycle of motion. (Henceforth in the present application the repeated ascents and descents of an object in a carbonated beverage due to the changing buoyancy of the object and attached carbonation bubbles will be referred to as "swimming.")
However, the specific gravity, size, shape and surface texture of raisins is difficult to control, and generally varies greatly. Some raisins will be too dense, or have too little surface area, and therefore will tend to remain at the bottom of the beverage. Other raisins will not be dense enough or will have too much surface area relative to the total volume of the population of bubbles attached to the surface, and will therefore tend to remain floating at the top of the beverage. Furthermore, even raisins which do rise and sink in the carbonated beverage due to the changing buoyancy of the raisin and the attached carbonation bubbles, will not have their volume, surface area and specific gravity optimized to minimize stasis times of the raisins at the top and bottom surfaces of the beverage. Furthermore, the surface texture of raisins is not optimal to promote bubble nucleation or retain large bubbles. Also, the number of raisins in the beverage will not be optimized so that a maximum number of raisins are in motion at any instant. In addition, the raisins do not have shapes which might stimulate the imaginations of young children.
Operating on a similar principle is a plastic toy which is shaped like a submarine and has an interior chamber for holding a charge of baking powder (such as the Undersea Explorer.TM. manufactured by DaMert Company of San Leandro, Calif.). The baking powder is loaded in the chamber by first submerging the submarine in a vessel of water to wet a screen at the bottom of the chamber, shaking the submarine to remove most of the water from the chamber while retaining some water in the screen, loading the baking powder into the chamber through a top port, and sealing the top port. When the submarine is then put in the water, it will descend since the plastic and baking powder has a specific gravity greater than that of water. However, when water enters the chamber via the screen at the bottom of the chamber, a chemical reaction between the water and the baking powder produces gases in the chamber which change the buoyancy of the submarine, inducing it to ascend. When the volume of the gasses becomes sufficiently large, the bubble formed against the screen at the bottom of the chamber dislodges from the submarine, and the submarine again descends to begin another cycle of motion.
One drawback of this type of toy is that does not always work properly because its operation is sensitive to how the baking powder is loaded in the chamber. If the baking powder is packed too densely, water will only reach the inner regions of the baking powder charge slowly, and the toy will only rise infrequently. If too little baking powder is put in the chamber, the toy will rise only a few times or not at all. If too much water remains in the chamber when the baking powder is put in, then the reaction will happen too quickly and the motion of the toy will only last for a short period of time. Or, if not enough water remains on the screen when the baking powder is loaded in the chamber, water will not pass through the screen to the baking powder charge and the chemical reaction will not take place to allow the toy to ascend. The amount of baking powder and the density of the packing of the baking powder becomes easier to control as the toy and its chamber becomes larger, and if the toy is made of injection molded plastic, the screen becomes easier to manufacture as the toy is made larger.
Therefore, a disadvantage of this type of toy is that a large vessel of water is required. For instance, the submarine-shaped toy manufactured by DaMert Company is approximately 11.5 cm long and 4.0 cm in height, and therefore a vessel larger than a drinking cup is clearly required. Another disadvantage of this type of toy is that generally only a single toy is played with because of the difficulties associated with properly loading the baking powder. Therefore, during the periods of stasis of the toy at the top and bottom of the vessel of water, there are no other components in motion to hold one's interest.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an article with a density and shape such that it will repeatedly rise and sink, i.e., "swim," in a carbonated liquid.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an edible article which will swim in a carbonated beverage, particularly a carbonated beverage contained in a drinking cup or glass, and particularly an edible article that does not degrade the appearance of the carbonated beverage.
Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an article which will repeatedly rise and sink in a carbonated liquid with short stasis times at the top and bottom of the liquid.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a self-contained integrally-formed article which will repeatedly rise and sink in a carbonated liquid.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an article with a cross-section of arbitrary dimensions which ascends and descends in a carbonated liquid.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a group of articles which, when put in a carbonated liquid, a substantial percentage of the articles will generally be in motion at any instant.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a number of articles which ascend and descend in a carbonated liquid, such that articles do not interfere with the motions of other articles.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an article which ascends and descends in a carbonated liquid with a surface texture that promotes bubble nucleation.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an article which ascends and descends in a carbonated liquid with a surface texture that can retain large bubbles.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an article with the intriguing and exciting appearance of a recognizable object, preferably a recognizable kinetic object, which ascends and descends in a carbonated liquid.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an article that ascends and descends in a carbonated liquid due to changing buoyancy which will operate without trial-and-error experimentation.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an article which ascends and descends in a carbonated liquid due to changing buoyancy over a long time period.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an article which ascends and descends in a carbonated liquid with a cycle time which is relatively insensitive to small deviations in the dimensions, density or surface texture of the article, or the level of carbonation of the liquid.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and will be obvious from the description or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the claims.